Which to use
“ernsten” and “ernster” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #17,281
- “ernsten” frequency rank
- #17,282
- “ernster” frequency rank
- 34563
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ernsten | ernster |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs ernst | Nominativ Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs ernst |
Where the eye mixes ernsten and ernster
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: ernsten vs ernster
A purely visual mix-up. ernsten ([ˈɛʁnstn̩]) and ernster ([ˈɛʁnstɐ]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by a single letter - n in “ernsten” becomes r in “ernster”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 34563, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ernsten is recorded at frequency rank #17,281, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈɛʁnstn̩]. ernster is at rank #17,282, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈɛʁnstɐ].
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 34563, this pair ranks #1,660,409 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of ernsten vs ernster
Shared letters: enrst. Private to "ernsten": -. Private to "ernster": -.
"ernsten" · 7 letters · shape VCCCCVC · "ernster" · 7 letters · shape VCCCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "ernsten" and "ernster" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "ernsten" vs "ernster" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "ernsten" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "ernster" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,660,409 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "ernsten" and "ernster" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Easter vs ernster". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #1,660,409 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.